I am massively optimistic about the direction of this Manchester United team. I know the board has been swept by a spirit of negativity all summer, and I’m not even saying we will have the greatest season. What I do think though, is that I am seeing a lot of the ingredients for a great future for the first time in a while.
I said on here a couple of years back that I was beginning to suspect it would take another ‘Co92’ for us to get our shit together. We had tried every type of signing and every type of manager it seemed, yet none of it was working. We had lost our identity as a team, and were getting by on the individual ability of our players rather than the collective ability. And that was only taking us so far.
Now I think with the age and profile of our squad, we will need maybe 2 or 3 first XI additions over the next couple years from outside our existing group. We have a top keeper, and arguably the most promising young keeper in the country in Dean Henderson behind him. Someone who has grown up with us, used to the philosophy of the current coaching team. The back 4 looks ready now, and also has room to grow over the next few years. I suspect we could upgrade Luke Shaw at left-back and have this as one of the positions we would need to sign a player for. We only have one real left back in the squad, and it isn’t one of the positions we have an outstanding young player coming through. We have Axel Tuanzebe as a back up centre half who will also likely grow and improve with the unit, and could challenge for the first XI in this time period.
Midfield is an area we will need to sign one player, maybe two. Matic is done, and we need a new defensive midfielder. Pogba is brilliant, but may not stay. Gomes is a phenomenal talent and you would hope he will become a first XI player in the next few years, and be on a par with any top young creative midfielder out there. Scott McTominay has been making strides too and may establish himself in the XI too.
In attack, we clearly need a right-sided player. By all accounts, we have the best young one in world football at the top of our list. But it’s not just about ability, he will be one who fits in with the team and ethos too. If we can add him, alongside Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, Chong and James - that will be a group in their early to mid twenties that we will hope can compete.
More importantly than the XI is the route they will have taken to become our first XI. Under the stewardship of Ole, Carrick and co, here since young and raised and moulded in a philosophy - I am a firm believer that we have the makings of a great squad, and the real fruits of this summer will be seen in a couple years from now.
I said on here a couple of years back that I was beginning to suspect it would take another ‘Co92’ for us to get our shit together. We had tried every type of signing and every type of manager it seemed, yet none of it was working. We had lost our identity as a team, and were getting by on the individual ability of our players rather than the collective ability. And that was only taking us so far.
Now I think with the age and profile of our squad, we will need maybe 2 or 3 first XI additions over the next couple years from outside our existing group. We have a top keeper, and arguably the most promising young keeper in the country in Dean Henderson behind him. Someone who has grown up with us, used to the philosophy of the current coaching team. The back 4 looks ready now, and also has room to grow over the next few years. I suspect we could upgrade Luke Shaw at left-back and have this as one of the positions we would need to sign a player for. We only have one real left back in the squad, and it isn’t one of the positions we have an outstanding young player coming through. We have Axel Tuanzebe as a back up centre half who will also likely grow and improve with the unit, and could challenge for the first XI in this time period.
Midfield is an area we will need to sign one player, maybe two. Matic is done, and we need a new defensive midfielder. Pogba is brilliant, but may not stay. Gomes is a phenomenal talent and you would hope he will become a first XI player in the next few years, and be on a par with any top young creative midfielder out there. Scott McTominay has been making strides too and may establish himself in the XI too.
In attack, we clearly need a right-sided player. By all accounts, we have the best young one in world football at the top of our list. But it’s not just about ability, he will be one who fits in with the team and ethos too. If we can add him, alongside Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, Chong and James - that will be a group in their early to mid twenties that we will hope can compete.
More importantly than the XI is the route they will have taken to become our first XI. Under the stewardship of Ole, Carrick and co, here since young and raised and moulded in a philosophy - I am a firm believer that we have the makings of a great squad, and the real fruits of this summer will be seen in a couple years from now.